DigiKey

{{Infobox company

| name = DigiKey Corporation

| trade_name = DigiKey

| logo = DigiKey logo.svg

| type = Private

| industry = Electronics distribution

| founded = {{start date|1972||}}

| founder = Ronald Stordahl

| location_city = Thief River Falls, Minnesota

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Dave Doherty (President & COO)||Mark Larson (President & COO, 1985–2015; General Manager, 1976-1985)}}

| revenue = $3 billion (2018){{cite web|title=Top 50 Electronics Distributors 2018 - #5 Digi-Key Electronics|url=https://www.sourcetoday.com/top-50-electronics-distributors/top-50-electronics-distributors-2018-5-digi-key-electronics|publisher=SourceToday|date=May 11, 2018}}

| num_employees = 4,000+{{cite web |url=https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/about-digikey |title="About DigiKey" |accessdate=2019-01-15}}

| location_country = United States

| website = {{url|https://digikey.com/|digikey.com}}

}}

DigiKey Corporation (formerly written as Digi-Key) is an American electronic components distributor. The company was founded in 1972 by Ronald Stordahl. {{As of|2013|post=,}} DigiKey is the fourth largest electronic component distributor in North America and the fifth largest electronic component distributor overall.{{cite web|title=Digi-Key Company History |url=http://www.digikey.com/us/en/info/Company-Profile.html |work=Digikey.com |publisher=Digi-Key Corporation |accessdate=5 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608081327/http://www.digikey.com/us/en/info/Company-Profile.html |archive-date=8 June 2013 }} Stordahl privately owns the company.{{cite news | url=http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4317964/Voices-Digi-Key-growing-up-privately | title=Voices: Digi-Key: growing up, privately | work=EDN | author=Rako, P | date=2006-09-28 | accessdate=2012-06-26 }}

The name "Digi-Key" is a reference to the "Digi-Keyer Kit," a digital electronic keyer kit that Stordahl developed and marketed to amateur radio enthusiasts. Electrical schematics for the electronic keyer were published in April 1968 by the radio publication QST.{{cite news | url=https://www.digikey.com/en/blog/updating-the-original-digi-keyer | title=Updating the Original Digi-Keyer | newspaper=Digikey }}

History

After earning a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota, Ronald Stordahl returned to his hometown of Thief River Falls, Minnesota, where he took up ham radio in the early 1970s. Stordahl created a kit of electronic parts to improve the transmission of Morse code over his radio. He soon began selling kits to other ham operators, and eventually branched off into the distribution of other electronic components, allowing customers to purchase parts in any quantity, no matter how small. The company quickly grew, and by 1984, it was located in a one million square foot facility next door to Arctic Cat, a snowmobile manufacturer.{{Cite news|title=From a box of radio parts, Digi-Key grew into a $2.3 billion anchor of northwest Minnesota|url=https://www.startribune.com/from-a-box-of-radio-parts-digi-key-grew-into-a-2-3-billion-anchor-of-nw-minnesota-s-economy/477461533/|last=Reinan|first=John|date=March 21, 2018|publisher=Star Tribune}}

In 1996, DigiKey launched its website, gradually shifting focus towards e-commerce. The first international domain was launched in 1996 in Canada. This would later expand to over 40 local domains.{{Cite web|title=About DigiKey {{!}} DigiKey|url=https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/about-digikey|access-date=2022-02-08|website=www.digikey.com}}

File:Digi-Key logo.png

Mark Larson, who joined DigiKey in 1976 as its general manager, became president in 1985. He has led the company from its initial focus on the hobbyist market to the expanded market it serves today. In 2015 Larson stepped down from his role within the company and transitioned to a board position. On June 1, 2015 Dave Doherty, who served as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Digi-Key, transitioned to Larson's position as President and Chief Operating Officer.{{cite news|last1=Hageman|first1=John|title=UPDATED: Digi-Key vice president takes president position; president moves to board|url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/business/3756902-updated-digi-key-vice-president-takes-president-position-president-moves-board|newspaper=Grand Forks Herald}}

DigiKey continued to grow following the recession in 2008.{{cite news | url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/09/digi-key/ | title=In tough economy, Minn. firm faces unusual problem | work=Minnesota Public Radio News | date=2010-04-09 | accessdate=2012-06-26 }} By 2017, DigiKey was located in a single, centralized location in Thief River Falls, Minnesota that measured {{convert|800000|sqft|m2}}. In 2017 the company began work on a one million square foot expansion to their Thief River Falls facility at an expected cost of $200 million to $300 million. The expansion was helped by government incentives and tax exemptions and was expected to add another 1,000 jobs at Digi-Key.{{cite web |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/08/31/digi-key-boom-brings-good-problems-to-thief-river-falls |title=Digi-Key boom brings good problems to Thief River Falls |author=Brian Bakst |publisher=MPRNews |date=2017-08-31 |accessdate=2019-01-15}}

By 2018, the company had annual revenue of $2.3 billion and more than 3,500 employees.

In March 2018, DigiKey announced an expansion for a 1 million square foot building with over 2.2 million square feet of usable space. This space will include receiving, shipping, warehouse, and storage space for the nearly 1.5 million products ready for immediate shipment. The building was officially opened on August 17, 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-17 |title=Digi-Key Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of Product Distribution Center Expansion |url=https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20220817cg48216/digi-key-celebrates-ribbon-cutting-of-product-distribution-center-expansion |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=www.morningstar.com |language=en}}

On September 29, 2021, DigiKey announced a global distribution partnership with QuickLogic Corporation, a fabless semiconductor company.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digi-key-electronics-announces-global-partnership-with-quicklogic-corporation-through-the-digi-key-marketplace-301387763.html | title=Digi-Key Electronics Announces Global Partnership with QuickLogic Corporation Through the Digi-Key Marketplace }}{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2025}}

In November 2022, DigiKey was granted their first patent for a 'tray for transporting and storing electronic components' (U.S. Patent No. [https://patents.google.com/patent/USD968957S1 USD968957S1)].{{Cite web |title=Digi-Key Electronics Awarded U.S. Patent for Tray to Transport and Store Electronic Components |url=https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/january-2023/digi-key-electronics-awarded-u-s-patent-tray |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=automation.com |language=en}}

During the summer of 2023, DigiKey celebrated their 50th anniversary, an event which was delayed the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite press release |last=Electronics |first=Digi-Key |title=Digi-Key Celebrates 50 Years of Fueling Innovation Around the World |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digi-key-celebrates-50-years-of-fueling-innovation-around-the-world-301787872.html |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=Mark |date=2023-04-03 |title=Digi-Key Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation |url=https://www.mdm.com/news/tech-operations/operations/digi-key-celebrates-50-years-of-innovation/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Modern Distribution Management |language=en-US}}

In April of 2025, Teri Ivaniszyn of Digi-Key says "I wake up in cold sweats about tariffs" when interviewed by NPR regarding the current tariff situation. {{cite news|title=A small U.S. town grew a big company. Can it weather the tariff blizzard? |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/04/24/nx-s1-5332209/digikey-tariff-small-minnesota-town-big-company |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=NPR |language=en}}

DigiKey

History

See also

References

Further reading